FIREFIGHTERS battled for over five hours to rescue a horse trapped in four feet of water.

Using an inflatable walkway the officers managed to get a vet to the horse to ensure it was well before using two four wheel drive vehicles to drag it out of the beck.

Darkness made the rescue operation more difficult and to complicate matters even more the horse was trapped in three feet of silt.

Watch manager Chris Reeve said: "This was a huge operation and it was really tricky to deal with. The horse was trapped in three feet of silt, with its nose dipping in and out of the water.

"We used the inflatable walkway to get a vet to the horse while we got everything prepared to drag the horse out. It was really difficult for the officers who were in the river because they were having to battle through the silt as well.

"Once we got the horse out the vet checked it over and gave it a sedative to calm it down. Within 30 minutes it seemed to fine."

The specialist water rescue crew from Thornaby fire station were called to the Clarences Community Farm, High Clarence, near Stockton, just after 6pm on Friday evening.

The horse was eventually pulled free after 11pm.